Dancing footwear and taps for dancing footwear



July 19, 1938. c. H. BUCKLER 2,124,458

DANCING FOOTWEAR AND TAPS FOR DANCING FOOTWEAR Filed April 10, 1937 FIG. 1.

INVE NTOR.

EHELHES H. Eumkl EI" ATTORNEY Patented July 19, 1938 i 1:

UNITED STATES,

DANCING FOOTWEAR ANDKTAYPSV FOR DANCING FOOTWEAR.

5 Charles H. Buckler, Camden; N. J.

Application April 10, 1937, Serial No. 136,206

2 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear for dancing and the like, and more .particularly to footwear for tap dancing and to taps for tap dancing footwear.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an aid in dancing and the'like, which will make it possible for the dancer to' glide or spin with a minimum of effort and withoutthe friction or retarding of steps characteristic of conventional dancing footwear and footwear equipped with conventional taps.

Another object is to provide an anti-friction dancing tap which may be inserted into the bottom portions of conventional footwear or into conventional tap soles or plates.

Still another object is to provide an aid in tap dancing which may be readily removed or replaced and wherein the aid may be replaced in toe tap plates without removing the plates themselves from the footwear with which they are associated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, with parts broken away to better illustrate portions of the construction.

Figure 3 is a vertical section. of a novel tap.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 5 is a conventional footwear heel, before the novel taps, shown in Figures 3 and 4, are attached thereto.

Figure '6 is a conventional tap sole or plate before the taps, shown in Figures 3 and 4, are attached thereto to become a part thereof.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A may embrace and designate footwear B equipped with the novel taps C and an assembly of the novel taps C and a tap sole or plate D.

The footwear B, shown by way of example, is a conventional dancing shoe or pump, including a sole portion I0 and a heel portion l l both of substantial thickness.

If it is desired to provide the novel footwear with heel taps, the heel portion Il may be provided with one or a suitable number of sockets or openings l3, extending upwardly from its lowermost face l2.

Each of the novel taps C, preferably includes a cylindricalbody or plug portion I l-havinga concaved socket or-recess 15 extending from its lower face l5, as shown in Figure 3. This socket l5 accommodates a suitable rollable or rotatable member, preferably a sphere l'|,-with a portion of the sphere protruding outwardly of the socket and beyond the lower face I6. Extending outwardly at the lower end and beyond the peripheiw of the cylindrical body portion I4 is a flange IS, the uppermost face l9 of which constitutes an abutment to prevent inward movement of the taps when in place.

Means is provided to retain the sphere I1 within the recess l5 so that, while the former cannot drop out of the recess l5, it may roll therein. This means preferably comprises a disc 20 having a central perforation 2| so that the disc will encircle a portion of the sphere I! at the portion thereof that extends outwardly of the body portion [4. The disc 20 has an upturned flange 22 which snugly engages the flange l8, as shown in Figure 3.

If desired, the body portion l4 may have a small perforation 23 extending from its upper end to the recess 15, as shown in Figure 3.

The assembly of one or more of the taps O with a tap sole or plate D is desirable, to provide a rolling tap for the toe end of the sole portion I 0. The tap sole D may comprise a metallic plate 25 shaped to conform to the toe end of the sole portion l0. This plate 25 is provided with one or more openings 26 extending from its lowermost face 21 and, if more than one perforation or opening 26 is provided, spaced apart as desired.

For example, a desirable arrangement of openings is that shown in Figure 6.

In addition, the plate 25 may be provided with nail or rivet head accommodating sockets 28, each having a perforation for the shank of the nail or rivet. I

Nails, rivets or the like may constitute means 29 for securing the novel toe plate assembly to the sole, as is well known in the art.

Each perforation or opening 26 accommodates the body portion Id of a tap C in a snug-fitting engagement, with the flange l8 in contact with the under face 21 of the plate 25. The novel taps C may be attached to the heel portion II by inserting the body portion M of each into a socket l3 and driving it in, in any approved way until the face IQ of the flange I8 abuts the lower face l2 of the heel portion I I. It has been found that more firmly hold them in place.

these taps C will not drop out of the several sockets and openings provided, but rather, the tapping to which they are subjected while in use tends to However, they may be pried from the openings or sockets, when desired.

A method similar to that just described, or another method, may be employed to drive the body portions M of the taps C into the openings 26 in the plate 25 until the faces [9 of the flanges l8 abut the face 21 of the plate 25.

It is apparent that, by removing the disc 20 with its flange 22, a sphere may be substituted for a cracked or worn one.

The taps C, which are preferably wholly metal- 110, and their assembly with the plate D, constitute means to aid the wearer of the footwear to which they are attached in dancing, since the wearer may glide and spin with a minimum of effort and without the friction or retarding of steps characteristic of conventional taps. There is, also, muchless wear upon the novel taps than upon conventional taps, whichmust be replace relatively frequently.

-,Various changes may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is: V v

1. A dancing tap comprising a substantially cylindrical plug portion including an upper face and a lower face and provided with a concaved recess extending inwardly from said lower face, said plug portion having a flange extending from the periphery thereof at the lower end thereof, a sphere carried partly within said recess and with a portion thereof extending outwardly beyond said lower face, and means to retain said sphere within said recess comprising a disc having a central opening with said opening less in diameter than the diameter of said sphere and encircling a portion of said sphere, and the thickness of said disc being less than the distance said sphere extends from said recess, said disc having an upwardly extending peripheral annular portion in tight-fitting engagement with the outerperipheral face of said flange, said sphere con stituting the tapping surface of said tap.

2. A dancing shoe having a tread portion of substantial thickness provided with a cylindrical than that of said recess, and having below its lower face an annular portion extending outwardly beyond the body, and a freely rollable member carried by said means with a section of said rollable member extending below said means.

CHARLES H. BUCKLER. 

